The Phantom Killer
by Bridgr6
Summary: The team starts on the trail of a smart new serial killer after one of their own is attacked...the killer is out to test their skills and push them over the edge...will they all come out alive and in one piece?
1. New Enemy

Mac's POV

It had been an extremely long day. One of those days that made you think more about the life you live and the time you still have to live that life. One second…one second is all it takes for that life to end. One second is the time it takes to blink or cough or snap your fingers, but it also is the amount of time it takes to die. Mac had learned that from his time as a Marine and almost found out first-hand today. If that gun hadn't jammed he would be dead and his team would be solving his murder instead of some other nameless citizen. He was lucky he thought to himself as he stepped out of the elevator and toward the busy streets of New York…too lucky.

Don's POV

He sat slouched at his desk in the old precinct. His day had been good…he had helped solve and old case and reunite a mother with her child. Actually in his book that would be considered a great day. His job was hard and sure it took its toll but today was one of the day's he felt proud and happy to be a New York City Police Officer. He may not make the front page of the New York Times or drive a Mustang or Corvette but his job still made him happy…happy in a way money could never do. He was pulled abruptly out his thoughts as his phone rang "Flack," he said swiftly picking it up, ready to start up again. The voice that answered him was deep and unfamiliar.

"This is death calling and I'm growing restless," it said.

"Who is this…what are you talking about?" Don said, now sitting up in his chair.

As the stranger talks the scene shows Mac walking further away from the elevator and towards the street in slow motion and then flicks back to Flack sitting in the precinct.

"Privolli…if this is another one of your pranks so help me god…" Flack said, now a little agitated.

"Your job is to find killers… am I right?" the voice said, ignoring Flack's questions. Flack realizes that this is not a prank at all and its real.

"Yes why? Are you in some sort of trouble? Flack asked now standing.

"No, but I know someone who is," the voice said and all you can see of the caller is his mouth talking into the phone. Then the scene flicks back to Mac walking.

"You see I met this man and I could tell he was troubled…very troubled…. so today I think I'm going to save him," the voice said and the scene flicks back to Flack sitting in his chair.

"Sir? Could you please explain more…I'm not sure where you're going with this," Flack said.

"He needs my help…I have to do this….I…have to kill him," the voice said and the scene flashes back to Mac walking again.

"Who? No you don't want to kill anyone…just listen ok everything will be fine just tell me your name….I can help you," Flack said.

"No…I just had to tell someone…you have to stop me…I'm going to kill him," the voice said now sounding frantic.

"Who? Who are you going to kill?" Flack yelled into the phone.

"His name is Mac Taylor…Detective Mac Taylor…you have to save him….stop me…find me," the voice said and then hung up. Flack sprinted from his desk and dialed Mac's number as he raced towards the elevators.

"C'mon Mac pick up….," Flack said as he pressed the lobby button.

Deaths POV

He laughs as he hangs up the phone, knowing that Detective Flack will try to save Taylor, but he won't. He stops laughing as he raises the sniper rifle to aim.

Mac's POV

The streets are surprisingly empty. A few cops are leaving and a few are coming to do their jobs. He smiles and nods at a few familiar faces as he steps down the final steps in front of the precinct that lead to the street. As his feet touch the sidewalk he hears a loud crack and feels like an invisible arm is pushing his left shoulder back…dragging him towards the ground. He looks to his left and sees blood blossoming on his jacket….his blood. His knees buckle and he feels himself crumble the ground. Screams fill the air and the familiar faces he saw moments before are crowded over him…blocking out the sky above. Their mouths move but nothing comes out…he wants to answer them but he can't speak. His vision starts to become blurry as he sees Jo hovering among the other faces.

"Stay with me…don't close your eyes…do you hear me Mac," Jo yells at him in a determined voice. Was this luck? Had he survived being killed a few nights earlier to die lying in the cold, hard streets that he had worked most of his life to protect? Was this what he had been destined for? Was this the end for him? Or was it the beginning?

Deaths POV

He lowers the rifle slowly, watching the havoc on the street below. He takes the rifle apart and stuffs it into his duffel bag, careful to leave nothing behind. He climbs onto the fire escape and climbs down…not too slow…not too fast. He was good at his job and now he knew no one would catch him, he had just now made sure of that. He was practically a ghost…a creature of the night….he was the Phantom Killer.


	2. Nightmare in Limbo

Jo's POV

Jo paced the length of the hospitals waiting room, thinking about the shooting and of Mac. She had held in her tears as they loaded Mac into the ambulance and even when the paramedics had said things like "we're losing him," or "he's not breathing." Now watching Lindsay and Danny running towards her with tear filled eyes she felt the tears sting her own eyes. She embraced Lindsay.

"What did they say? Have you seen a doctor?" Lindsay asked.

"No they rushed him in…that's the last time I saw him," Jo said. Danny rubbed his face down his face and took and deep breath.

"Who would do this…Mac wasn't even working a case for Christ's sake," he said and sat down. Just as Jo was about to demand information from someone….anyone, Don sprinted into the waiting room.

"I got a call… right before…it happened," Don said out of breath and resting his hands on his knees.

"What?" Danny asked getting up.

"I got a call from a man who said he was death and that he wanted to save someone…when I asked who he said Mac…he told me to stop him…I couldn't…I tried," Don said. Danny just stared at Don.

"He called…what the hell is happening," Danny exclaimed and the waiting room door slide open and they all looked over. The air around them was still as they all held their breath waiting to hear the fate of their friend.

Mac's POV

He opened his eyes and felt and was blinded by a bright light in front of him. He lifted an arm to shield his face and realized he was lying on a couch. He finally focused on the room and realized the blinding light was coming from his desk lamp. He couldn't remember falling asleep but here he was snoozing on his couch. He glanced at the clock and it read 2:00a.m. Mac ran a hand down his face and got up off of the couch. As soon as his feet touched the ground Mac knew something was different but he couldn't place his finger on what it was. He stood and stretched a little, straightened out his shirt and left his office. He walked into the lab's hallway and noticed it was almost empty, puzzled Mac walked to Jo's office…she of all people would be working. He walked to her office and saw that it was also empty. Now Mac was a little angry…where was everyone? He hadn't given them a day off. Mac was about to call Jo when he heard a voice behind him.

"Mac Taylor," the voice said. Mac whipped around and saw a man in a black suit standing in front of him. The man had wavy, chin length, brown hair. He looked vaguely familiar but Mac wasn't sure who he was. The man's eyes took Mac by surprise; they were filled with greed and hatred.

"Remember me?" the man said holding his arms out as he approached Mac. Mac thought back, but he couldn't place a name or memory with the face. Just as Mac went to answer the man pulled out a gun and smiled as he pointed it at Mac.

"This might jog your memory," he said and pulled the trigger. Mac felt the bullet slam into his shoulder and he flew back into one of the glass walls surrounding Jo's office. The wall shattered on impact and Mac felt excruciating pain all around him. His vision became blurry and then everything faded to black, all he heard was a cold and cruel laugh.


	3. Cautiously Optimistic

Danny' s POV

His heart hammered in his chest as the doctor slowly walked towards them. The doctor was a middle aged woman with long, brown hair and a slim body. He recognized her as Aubrey Hunter, a friend of Mac's. Her face was grim and upon seeing it his heart pounded even harder in his chest. She stopped in front of him and the rest of the team and took a deep breath.

"Mac suffered a gunshot wound only a few centimeters from his heart. He is still alive, but not conscious yet. Everything went fine in surgery and we managed to stop the bleeding, but the bullet caused some damage to his coronary artery and nearby blood vessels. There is nothing more we can do, but wait," she said.

"Aubrey is there a good chance he will wake up?" Lindsay asked.

"I think there is room to be cautiously optimistic," she stated with a weak smile. Danny took a breath a tried to calm down. Cautiously optimistic was exactly what he was going to be and he would wait as long as it took for Mac to wake up.

Mac's POV

When he opened his eyes his heart was pounding fast and he was out of breath. He looked down at his chest, but there was no blood…not even a small scratch. What the hell? He had been shot…a man in black had shot him, but now he was perfectly fine. Mac stood up and looked around. He was in his apartment now. His mind felt like it was spinning a million miles per hour. He had been in the lab moments before, he knew it. Mac sighed and then heard a knock at his door. He walked to the door and opened it. Mrs. Wiltcowski stood outside his door with a scowl on her face. Mrs. Wiltcowski was Mac's 82 year old neighbor, who was always happy and smiling, so upon seeing her frown Mac's insides cringed.

"What on earth are you doing here Mac Taylor?" she said with the scowl still etched on her face.

"What do you mean? Mrs. Wiltcowski I live here…I've lived here for three years," Mac said through his confusion.

"You shouldn't be here…you're still young…did you go and do something stupid?" she said, ignoring Mac's question. Mac was completely puzzled and didn't know what to say. As Mac stood there gaping at her Mrs. Wiltcowski arched an eyebrow.

"Well?" She said obviously looking for an answer.

"I-uh…I'm not sure-," Mac started but stopped himself unsure how to continue.

"Well you need to go back," she said more to herself then to him. She walked past him and into his apartment and started to look for something in his kitchen.

"Mrs.W? Is there something you need?" Mac asked as he closed his door.

"No I-oh this will work," she said and came back into the living room. Mac saw what she was holding and started to back up. She had a cooking pot in her hand and Mac had a feeling she wasn't going to be using it to make her famous chili. As she approached him with it he put up his hands.

"Whoa! Mrs. Wiltcowski what are you doing?…lets be reasonable…I'm sure I can answer your questions," Mac said backing up a little.

"I'm sorry Mac, but this is for your own good…It'll only hurt for a second…a good smackaroo to the head should do the trick," she said as she continued to approach him.

"Mrs. W? Stop! What're you-?" Mac was stopped mid sentence as the pan came flying at him and nailed him in the side of the head. There was a flash of light and he barely felt his body hit the floor.

Don's POV

He sat right next to Mac's bed. Sheldon, Sid and Adam had arrived moments after they had learned of Mac's condition and the rest of the team had taken turns sitting with Mac over the past two days. Don had been sitting in his room for atleast two hours and he could feel the hope draining out of his body as every minute passed slowly. Don kept a firm grip on Mac's hand and closed his eyes. He briefly envisioned the face of the anonymous killer. The whole precinct was tracing calls and picking leads from witnesses, but there were no closer to finding the shooter than they were two days ago. Don sighed and stood up to switch shifts with Jo, when he heard it. If the room hadn't been almost completely silent he would never have heard it. It was a faint groan and a small intake of breath that came from behind him…it was the sound of hope.


	4. Awake and Alive

He whipped around to look at Mac. He could see Mac's eyes and they were slightly open. Don raced to Mac's bedside and grabbed his hand.

"Hey buddy…can you hear me?" Don asked looking at Mac's face. He saw Mac's eyes flicker briefly and then they closed again. Don bowed his head and swore under his breath…he had thought Mac was awake.

"Don?" Mac said his voice barely a whisper. Don jerked his head up and saw that Mac had his eyes open and was looking at Don.

"I'm here Mac…I just have to go and get your Doctor ok? I'll be right back…don't you dare close your eyes again…I'll be back in a sec," Don said through tear of joy. Mac smiled slightly and nodded and Don ran out of the room. He ran down the hall to the nurses' station where he saw Dr. Hunter talking to a nurse.

"Dr. Hunter…Mac's awake!" Don said as he came to a stop in front of her. Her face broke into a grin and she walked with don back to Mac's room. Don smiled to himself and felt his heart warm…everything was going to be fine after all…at least for now.

Jo's Pov

She sat in the conference room with the rest of the team, looking through evidence of Mac's shooting and discussing it.

"Did we get the make of the gun from ballistics yet?" Jo asked, but before anyone could answer the phone rang.

"Detective Danville," she said answering it.

"Jo, Mac's awake! He woke up! I couldn't believe it…I still can't believe it….bring the team and come on down to the hospital," Don said talking fast with excitement and happiness. Jo felt her heart soar and a smile broke across her face.

"Of course…we'll be right there," Jo said and hung up. She looked around and saw the whole team staring at her expectantly. She looked at them and then her face broke into a grin again.

"He's awake…we can all go see him!" she said and watched as they all stated cheering. Lindsay hugged Danny and he lifted her off the floor. Sheldon and Sid embraced each other and Adam let out a few joyful yells. They all raced out of the lab and drove to the hospital to see Mac and see for themselves that he was ok. As they walked towards Mac's room Aubrey Hunter stopped them at the door, but she was smiling.

"OK everyone…he's going to be ok…his vitals are good, but of course he will have to spend time in the hospital, so we can monitor him but you're free to visit, just don't let him overexert himself…if that's at all possible with Mac," she said.

She moved to the side and allowed all of them to walk into the room. Jo saw Mac smile as he saw his team, but Jo knew he was still in pain. There was bandages covering the upper left side of his body and he had a few scratched on his face from falling.

"Hey how are you feeling?" Lindsay said as she gently hugged Mac.

"Better already," Mac said as they each took their turn to gently hug him.

"Well don't get to anxious to leave they are still going to keep you for observation," Sheldon said, going into doctor mode. Mac laughed a little, but the pain caused him to wince.

"I'll try to hold myself back from making a dash out of here," Mac said and they all laughed and the first time in three days Jo knew that everything was alright.


	5. Doctors Orders

Mac sat in his hospital bed reading his case file. It was weird to be reading about his own shooting, but he was determined to find something to get them closer to the shooter. As he scrolled through the evidence for the hundredth time he heard a small knock at his door. He looked up to see Aubrey standing in the doorway.

"Ok I just need to check your heart beat and blood pressure and you'll be good for the day," she said and walked over to him. She checked his heart beat and blood pressure and wrote both down and then turned to him. "So how are you feeling and don't say what you think I want to hear because it won't get you out of here any faster," she said.

"I'm fine" he said and added a smile for the effect. Aubrey smiled and gave him a look that said he was full of hit.

"mhhmm…. well you can say that until your blue in the face, but you are not leaving yet so don't get to excited," she said and walked towards the door.

"C'mon Aubrey its been a week," Mac said with a pleading look and innocent smile.

"Don't even try that Mac Taylor…you suffered life threatening injuries and your vitals aren't normal yet so you staying and that final," she said and left before she fell for his innocent act. Mac sighed and was about to pick up the file again when the phone rang. He reached over and picked it up.

"Mac Taylor," he said.

"I leave you for a few months and you go and almost get yourself killed….what am I going to do with you?" the familiar female voice said.

"Stella! How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good but what about you… are you feeling better? What do the doctors say?" Stella asked.

"They…I feel fine but they are keeping me for a few more days to make sure everything is fine," Mac said.

"Mac are you down playing it?" Stella asked, now being serious.

"No I'm telling you exactly what they said," Mac said with a chuckle. Mac heard silence on the other end.

"Do you have any idea who the shooter was?" Stella finally asked. Mac sighed.

"No…I've been thinking it over and over in my head but no one is coming to mind. Drew's in jail along with all the other criminals who would want me dead. Raymond Harris is dead so I just don't know who it was," Mac said.

"Well I know you'll get em Mac…you always do and when you find him give him a good punch in the face for me ok?" Stella said and Mac could hear her smile.

"Thanks Stella… and trust me I will," Mac said and suddenly felt a cold hatred in his chest and a need for revenge.


	6. He's back

One week later

Mac walked slowly up the stairs to his apartment on the third floor. He could feel Jo behind him; she had her hands close to his back just in case he needed help. He had been out of the hospital for a few days and other than the stitches and a slight twinge of pain when he over exerted himself, Mac would not know he was almost killed a few weeks ago. He had insisted on using the stairs instead of the elevator because he needed to get back in shape and every little bit of exercise helped. As they came to a stop in front of his front door he looked across the hall and something caught his eye. It was a blue and brown welcome mat in front of the door. Mac's mind flashed back to an object flying at him and a flask of light…Mrs. Wilcowski! Jo must have noticed his pause at his door because she looked at him with concern.

"Mac everything ok?" she asked.

"Yeah….yeah," he said absentmindedly as he walked to Mrs. Wilcowski's front door…he had questions for her. Jo followed him silently as he knocked on Mrs. Wilcowski's door. Mac waited, but no one answered. Mac sighed and turned around to face Jo when he heard the door behind him open. He turned around, but was surprised to see he was not facing Mrs. W. A man stood in the doorway; he looked to be in his mid-thirties with brown hair and glasses.

"Hello can I help you?" he asked looking Mac up and down.

"Um…is Mrs. Wiltcowski…er…Helen…is she home?" Mac asked.

"No Helen was my mother…she passed from a heart attack about two weeks ago…we are just cleaning out the apartment," the man was the last answer Mac had been expecting and he felt a pang of sadness tear at his heart as he thought about Mrs. W. He briefly thought of all the cookies she had brought over to his apartment after he fixed something of hers, whether it was a broken faucet or a leaky roof and of their brief converations in the elevator. He thought of his dream and how he had seen her and it made a chill run down his spine.

"I'm sorry for your loss…oh…I'm Mac Taylor," Mac said as he shook his hand. "I live across the hallway…your mother was a great women," Mac said as he regained his composure and was thrown back into reality.

"I'm David and Thank-you she's in a better place…is there anything that I can help you with?" David said.

"No…no well it was nice meeting you," Mac said.

"You too," David said and nodded goodbye. As the door closed Mac turned around to face Jo. She was looking at him with concern…again.

"Did you know her well?" Jo asked as Mac unlocked the apartment and they walked in.

"Yeah…she was my neighbor for a long time…she made amazing peanut butter cookies," Mac said and set his keys down. He glancde over at the table and noticed a newspaper was there. Mac entered his living room and as he looked up he felt his blood run cold. Jo walked into the room behind him, he heard her gasp and stop too. Written in red letters on the wall of his living room was the_ Death is calling…and it's for you.._


	7. The Obituaries

_**Sorry that I haven't updated in a few days...my computer was ruined in a storm and now I don't have Microsoft Word on the new computer. I might not be able to update everyday now but I'll do my best...enjoy the story!**_**  
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>Mac's apartment was now swarmed with detectives and uniforms. Lindsay and Danny were taking samples of the writing and were taking photos of the surrounding areas. Don was questioning his neighbors and Jo was getting him a cup of coffee. Basically everyone was busy except him. As he sat watching the havoc around him he glanced over at his kitchen table and noticed a newspaper on it. He hadn't brought a newspaper home in a long time...hell he hadn't been home in a long time. He got up and walked over to pick it up, but his instincts stopped him from picking it up. He looked up at all the people in his apartment...maybe someone had brought in in...maybe it was nothing. Mac reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of rubber gloves and put them on...better safe than sorry. He picked up the paper and scanned the front page. He was about to turn the page when he noticed something circled in red at the bottom of the page, it was page 2c...the obituaries. Mac's heat hammered in his chest as he quickly ruffled through the paper and stopped at the obituaries. Mac's heart nearly beat out of his chest as he saw a death added to the paper in red ink...his.<br>"Hey Don...I think you're going to want to check this out," Mac said still holding the paper in his hands.

"Aw hell...what's this?" Don said as he took the paper from Mac's hands and looked at it.

"I guess he wanted to make sure I got the message," Mac said. "I'll see if I can get any prints off of it," Mac said and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Don asked.

"Back to the lab-" Mac said but Don cut him off with a wave of the hand.

"No you're not...at least not without an escort," Don said and then waved his hand again when Mac tried to interrupt him. "I'll have Officer Palorichhi go with you...and stay with you until you are done," Don said and then added "Don't even think about arguing because if you do I'm going to have you cuffed and taken to the precinct and watched by several armed officers who will not let you out of their sight." Mac glared at Don as he called Officer Palorichhi over to leave with Mac. "Don't look at me like that Mac...you have already experienced first-hand what this guy is capable of and you may be tough but you're not bullet-proof," Don said seriously.

"I no I'm not but I don't need a baby sitter," Mac said.

"Well if it makes you feel better we can call Officer Palorichhi a "Supervisor" or a "Body Guard," Don said with a smirk. Mac walked out of his apartment with his "Supervisor" close behind. As he stepped into the street he felt the cool breeze hit his face and his eyes briefly scanned the rooftops for any sign of movement...was this all a game or was he really next on deaths list?


	8. New Leads

Mac walked in the lab for the first time in weeks and he immediately felt better to be in the familiar atmosphere. He walked straight to his office with footsteps following close behind him. Mac sighed and turned around to see Officer Palorichhi still following him.

"You don't have to follow me everywhere I'm safe here George," Mac said to Officer Palorichhi who had stopped with Mac in front of his office.

"Those weren't the orders Mac, I'm to follow you everywhere and anywhere," George Palorichhi said. Mac glared at him and then turned around and entered his office.

George chuckled to himself at Mac's stubbornness. He had worked with Mac on a few occasions and had come to like and respect him, so he was going to do everything to make sure Mac was safe and if that included driving him crazy…he would do it.

Mac sat in his chair and looked at the files laid out on his desk; they were all from his shooting. Palorichhi sat in the chair across from Mac and watched him carefully.

"I'm not going to make a mad dash for the door," Mac said upon seeing Palorichhi's watchful gaze.

"Is that the shooting's case file?" Palorichhi said ignoring Mac's comment.

"Yes," Mac said slowly.

"Any leads? Is it the same guy who is sending you threats?" Palorichhi asked.

"Possibly…actually probably," Mac said and almost immediately was interrupted by Danny and Lindsay rushing into his office.

"Good news Mac we tested the writing on the wall and guess what it is," Danny said as he and Lindsay stood behind Palorichhi.

"What?" Mac said, now intrigued.

"Lipstick…Revlon cherry smash to be exact," Lindsay answered.

"Better news…it's not sold in stores yet and only a few people have access to it," Danny finished.

"Did you get a list?" Mac asked.

"Yes and only one name on the list has any background in shooting or weaponry," Lindsay said.

"What's the name?" Mac asked.

"Daniel Collins," Lindsay said.

"Got an address?" Mac asked.

"Yep he lives in Lower Manhattan in Greenwich Village," Danny said.

"Let's go get em," Mac said as he got up from his chair and grabbed his jacket.


	9. Chapter 9

Mac stood with Danny, Don, Lindsay and Jo in front of Collins' two story apartment building. They were all strapping on Kevlar and loading their guns when more back-up arrived. Mac finished strapping on his Kevlar and looked at his team. Everyone was ready.

"Ok…everyone watch each other's back this guy is dangerous and knows how to use a gun," Mac said and they all nodded.

"Let's go get this SOB," Danny said as they approached the apartment. Mac led the way up the stairs to Daniel Collins apartment. As they got by the door they heard a slam. Mac kicked in the door and they all ran in, guns ready. As Mac entered the room and came through the doorway he heard a loud click and looked up. A metal slide was falling towards him and Lindsay, who were standing almost directly in the doorway. Mac felt as if the world was moving in slow motion as he moved more into the room and pushed Lindsay back out into the hallway with the rest of the team.

"Mac!" he heard Don shout as the slide came crashing down and separated him from his team. Mac quickly recovered and kept his gun ready and aimed towards the inside of the apartment.

"Mac you all right?" he heard Danny's voice say from outside the door.

"Yeah I'm alright…everyone ok out there?" Mac asked.

"Yeah everything's a ok out here," Danny said "Is Collins In there?" he added. Mac turned and with his gun raised he cautiously walked around the apartment, looking for any sign of movement. He checked the bathroom, kitchen and living room first and didn't find anyone. As he approached the bedroom he heard a loud banging against the wall. The team must've head it too because he heard Don's yell

"Mac is he in there?" and then he heard Don yell in his walkie "Hey back-up needs to get up here…use the fire escape… we have a possible officer down." Mac slowly walked into the room towards the noise. As he looked around the ransacked room he heard the noise getting louder. He turned a corner and moved towards the closet door. He took a deep breath and opened the door and aimed his gun. He barely had time to react as he was knocked completely off his feet and slammed to the gorund.


	10. A Familiar Face

Mac's head flew back as he hit the cold, hard floor. As Mac's eyes flew open he saw blue eyes that shone with fear and surprise. Mac punched the man in the face and quickly got to his feet and aimed his gun at his attacker. As he looked down he was surprised that he saw someone he recognized.

"Tom? what the hell?" Mac said as he lowered the gun and helped the man up.

"Mac? God you scared the crap out of me!" Tom said as he got to his feet. "You sure can throw a punch," he added as he rubbed his sore jaw.

"What're you doing here? What the hell is with the metal slide death trap?" Mac asked. Tom ignored his questions and walked into the living room and looked at the metal slide that was still blocking the entrance.

"It worked! Huh it was worth the money then," Tom said looking at the slide with amazement.

"Except that it could've killed me or a member of my team," Mac said with a frown.

"Yeah...oh…sorry about that," Tom said.

"Well could you open it?" Mac asked a little irritated.

"O…right," Tom said and pulled the bookcase next to the door forward and hit a button. The slide immediately retracted back to the ceiling and his team rushed in the room.

"You alright Mac?" Jo asked as Danny and Don eyed Tom suspiciously.

"Yeah I'm ok," Mac said.

"Who's this?" Danny asked nodding his head towards Tom.

"This is Tom Conrad…my brother-in-law," Mac said.


	11. The Past,Present and Future

Don, Danny and Jo all stood gaping at Mac with shocked expressions from the news they had just received. Mac ignored their surprise and turned to Tom.

"Tom you're going to have to come to the precinct with us to answer a few questions…it's proper protocol," Mac said hoping Tom would understand.

"Of course…I understand Mac," Tom said, much to Mac's relief.

"You can ride with Jo and I…there's no need for you to ride in a cop car," Mac said and Don and Danny both nodded in agreement.

Tom sat in the front with Mac in the black Avalanche, as Jo had insisted. The drive had been silent for several minutes already until Tom spoke up.

"So how have you been Mac?" he asked.

"I've been good…pretty busy with work," Mac said, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Are you still working in the Crime Lab?" Tom asked.

"Yes… actually I run it now," Mac said.

"Hey congrats that's great," Tom said and the car fell silent again.

"Are you still working in real estate?" Mac asked finally breaking the silence, but still not taking his eyes off the road.

"Yeah…actually that's why I was at that house…a client needed me to check out this new house he wanted to buy," Tom said.

"Daniel Collins?" Mac asked finally looking at Tom.

"Yeah…why?" Tom asked.

"Uh we'll talk about it once we get to the precinct," Mac said, not wanting to discuss it yet. The car grew silent again and no one spoke for several long minutes.

"Do you still play ball?" Tom asked Mac.

"Uh…no…not really," Mac said and Tom turned around in his seat to talk to Jo.

"You should've seen Mac in the day…he could strike anyone out," he told her.

"Really?" she said smiling.

"No…I wasn't that good…me, Claire, and Tom used to play on a Sunday baseball league," Mac said told Jo.

"What did we call ourselves?" Tom asked Mac. "Oh yeah… The Crime Fighters," Tom said and laughed.

"It was Claire's idea…she figured that I fought real crime, Tom fought the crime of high priced homes and she fought the crime of writing lies and gossip in the newspapers," Mac told Jo, chuckling. Tom laughed to himself a little. "What?" Mac asked him.

"I was just thinking of the last game we all played…you know… me, you and Claire," Tom said, still chuckling.

"Claire's fly ball hit you in the head…." Mac started.

"…and knocked me unconscious," Tom finished and both men smiled.

"She called it a home run," Mac said and Jo laughed.

"She was a force to be reckoned with on and off the field," Tom said smiling.

"I learned that several times…the hard way," Mac said as he pulled into a parking spot in front of the precinct. They all got out of the car and stood in front of the precinct. Mac looked up on the roof of the apartment building across the street and thought he saw someone. He looked more closely and saw a glimpse of a shadow.

"You coming Mac?" Jo asked and she stood with Tom a couple of feet in front of Mac.

"Yeah…yeah… sorry," Mac said as quickly shook himself out of his thoughts and joined them. Before they entered the precinct Mac looked back at the building again, but saw nothing. He shook it off… he probably just need more sleep.


	12. Questions

Mac led Tom to a desk in the middle of the precinct and they both sat down. Don took a seat next to Mac and brought an icepack for Tom and his notebook, so he could write everything down.

"Ok Tom just tell me the whole story," Mac said.

"Ok well I got a call two days ago from a man named Daniel Collins, who was interested in buying a house that my business was selling. More specifically the one we met at. He even bought it before he even saw it, which I thought was weird. Then I get another call from him saying he wants to meet me at the house to sort some things out. I agreed to meet him there today and I waited, but he never showed. Then I heard voices and I heard someone break down the door and it freaked me out so, I hid. Then I heard someone in the room and next thing I know I'm bursting out of the closet and I tackle you and I get punched in the jaw," Tom said.

"Sorry about the punch," Mac said.

"Don't worry about it, I'm the one who attacked you...you do throw a mean punch by the way," Tom said laughing and Mac smiled.

"So you've never met Daniel Collins in person?" Mac asked.

"No, I only deal with the touring of the houses, all the business goes directly through another chain," Tom said.

"Ok, could you write down the names of the people Daniel Collins might've had to come in contact with to purchase the house?" Mac asked.

"Sure," Tom said and wrote several names on a sheet of paper that Don handed him.

"By the way Tom what was with the metal sheet that came from the ceiling?" Mac asked.

"It's a new security measure being made in some homes in dangerous neighborhoods. The metal sheet slides down to block the door if the owner presses a button inside the house. The metal sheet is bullet proof, so it's basically like making your house a giant panic room. I pressed it when I heard someone at the door, but since you broke down the door, the sheet's timing was off," Tom said.

"What invention will they come up with next?" Don said shaking his head and chuckling. They sat in silence for a moment until Tom spoke up.

"By the way Mac why do you guys looking for Collins?" Tom asked.

"He's a suspect in an attempted murder," Mac said not mentioning that the attempted murder was his.

"Well I hope you catch him," Tom said as he stood.

"Thanks…it was good to see you again Tom," Mac said, standing and walking with him to the exit.

"You too Mac," Tom said and then stopped walking and turned to face Mac when they were in front of the precinct. "You know you should go and see Mom and Dad some time…they miss you…we all miss you," Tom said. Mac nodded and smiled as Tom stuck out his hand.

"I hope to see you again soon Mac…under different circumstances…stay safe alright?" Tom said as Mac shook his hand.

"You too Tom," Mac said and Tom turned and hailed a cab. As the cab drove off Mac couldn't help but think about Tom's words, "stay safe", if only it was that easy.


	13. Shadow in the Dark

Mac had just finished signing the last of the case files and as he set his pen down the force of his exhaustion hit him. He rubbed his hands along his face and decided that he would go home and get some sleep. He got up out of his chair and grabbed his jacket, heading for the door. As he walked towards the elevator Officer Palorichhi started to follow him. Mac got into the elevator and tried to ignore Palorichhi standing next to him.

"I'll take you to your apartment and then a patrol car will sit outside all night," Palorichhi said.

"Yeah yeah…I know," Mac said as they walked to Mac's Avalanche "thanks George," he added after walking a few steps.

"It's no problem Mac," George said. Mac looked over at him and smiled, neither of them noticing the shadow prowling behind them. "We should prob-," George started but stopped as something hit him in the back of the neck forcing his head to jerk forward. Mac watched his eyes grew wide in shock and then Palorichhi crumpled to the ground as electricity from a taser shot through his body. Mac looked behind him and saw a shadow standing in the dark parking garage.

"You're coming with me," the shadow said as it approached Mac. Mac could make out the end of a gun pointing at him.

"In the car," the man's voice said as he waved the gun towards Mac's Avalanche. Mac made no attempt to move…once he got in the truck he would be defenseless. If he was going to try to get away now was his chance. As the man drew a little closer Mac kicked out with his foot and caught the man in his knees, and then as his face flew forward Mac kneed him in the nose, sending his attacker crashing to the ground and the gun flying out of his hand. Mac dove for the gun, but as he reached for it he felt a jolt of electricity travel through his body. He tried to move, but the pain and electricity kept him paralyzed as his attacker got back on his feet and walked towards the gun. Mac forced his arm to reach out and he grabbed the man by his foot and pulled it out from under him. The man retaliated by kicking back and hitting Mac square in the nose. Mac relinquished his grasp and the attacker grabbed the gun and pointed it at Mac. Mac looked up and watched as his attacker smiled and then kicked Mac in the chest multiple times. Mac groaned as he tried to roll on his side and get up.

"You got more detective?" the man said as he laughed and grabbed Mac by his collar and dragged him towards the car. Mac tried to fight, but the pain in his chest and face kept him from moving. As his attacker continued to drag him Mac finally found movement and elbowed him in the groin. As the man doubled over in pain, Mac tried to get up, but couldn't. His attacker recovered and retaliated by sending another hard blow to Mac's chest. As he lay on the ground trying to catch his breath, Mac heard a shuffle behind him. He looked over and saw George struggling to get up with his gun. The man pointed his gun at Officer Palorichhi

"Stay down before you get hurt," he said. Palorichhi looked like he was going to try something, but Mac looked at him and shook his head no.

"Good boy," the attacker said and pulled something out of his pocket. Mac felt something pinch his neck and then everything started to turn blurry.

"Mac!" Palorichhi yelled and the last thing Mac saw was the pleading face of his helpless friend.


	14. Confronting the Past

He felt a piercing pain in his neck as electricity was forced through his body. He saw Mac's puzzled expression as he crumpled to the ground. George saw a man step past him with a gun raised at Mac, but he couldn't move. It felt as if the electricity had paralyzed him. As the attacker approached Mac he watched him try and fight him off. Mac disarmed the attacker briefly, but he was tasered as he tried to grab the gun. George struggled to get up as he watched the attacker beat Mac and then drag him towards his truck. He finally managed to get up, but as he went for his gun the man turned around and pointed his gun at him.

"Stay down before you get hurt," the man said. George was not going to let this man kill Mac. He was about to attack the man when Mac shook his head no.

"Good boy," the attacker said. George yelled Mac's name as he watched the man pull out a needle and stab it into Mac's neck. He knew he had to do something, but he was no help to Mac if he was dead. As the man got into Mac's Avalanche and drove off with Mac, George pulled out his gun and shot at the tires. He fired off six shots before the Avalanche was too far to hit. He holstered his gun and sprinted for the elevator. As he reentered the lab he ran through the hallways and came to a stop in front of Jo Danville's office.

"Jo I was-we were leave-and a man came-and he-he tasered me-I tried to stop-," George said out of breath.

"George what are you saying?" Jo asked looking worried.

"A man kidnapped Mac…he's gone," Palorichhi said. Jo quickly got out of her seat and called someone on her phone as she spoke Palorichhi sat down and rubbed a hand down his face.

"First, are you okay?" Jo asked walking over and looking at his neck, where he had been tasered.

"I'm fine…I should've been paying closer attention…I should've-," Palorichhi said, but Jo cut him off.

"Don't blame yourself you did everything you could've… now it's our job find this guy, so tell me everything that happened," Jo said. George looked at his hands as he told her everything about the attack.

XXXXXXXXX

Mac opened his eyes and looked around the room he was in. His vision was blurry and the whole room was dark, but he could still make out a little ray of light coming from underneath a door. Mac tried to move and discovered that his right hand was handcuffed to the wall behind him. As Mac woke up he felt the full extent of his injuries hit him. His chest was aching and his nose felt broken. He groaned and used his left hand to look for his phone. He was not surprised to find that it was gone. The only thing his attacker had left him with was his badge and right now that wasn't going to save him. Mac watched as feet appeared under the door and then the door opened. Light burst into the room and lit up the walls. Mac could tell he was in a basement and there was nothing in the room except for a chair and a table. A tall man loomed above him as a shadow.

"Detective Mac Taylor…what an honor to talk to you face to face," the man said tauntingly.

"Who are you?" Mac asked as the man drew closer.

"I'm your worst nightmare," the man said as he crouched down in front of Mac, his face serious and his eyes cold as he stared Mac in the face for a few moments. As Mac got a close view of the man's face, realization suddenly dawned on him. It was the man who had shot him in his dream! The man was about six feet tall, medium build, with chin length, wavy brown hair and cold eyes. Mac still felt like he knew him from somewhere but he couldn't place a name with the face.

"You don't remember me do you?" the man said as he stood up and walked to the door. "Well I guess I shouldn't be insulted…you are a big, important detective," he continued and then he walked towards the table and chair. He sat down backwards in the seat, facing Mac and smiled.

"Let me begin the story shall I?" the man said, smiling still. "It all starts with a young and hopeful Marine, ready to serve and protect his country. His father was the type of man who was easily disappointed, so all his life he had strived to be the best…just to please daddy. He was just a private serving in Kuwait in 1991. He was proud to be serving his country and he was glad to kill the enemy. One day he saw a man sneaking around the small town he was patrolling. The private instantly realized that this man was classified as his enemy. He briefly left his patrol to silently take care of the problem, but as he attacked the enemy, which was his duty he was interrupted by a Major Mac Taylor….ringing a bell yet?" the man finished with a sneer on his face.

"Private Ian Reynolds…you were beating an Iraqi man and his son-" Mac started finally recognizing the man before him. He looked much older than he had when Mac had last seen him.

"They were a threat… I was serving my country," Reynolds said cutting off Mac and getting up and pacing the room, obviously angry.

"He was unarmed and defenseless…not a threat…the boy was only twelve…if I hadn't stopped you, you would have killed both of them," Mac said in disgust.

"You think you're better than me?" Reynolds asked, turning on Mac. "I should have been rewarded for my actions, but instead I was given a dishonorable discharge and shipped off to stare into the face of disappointment as I came home to my father. His son who had finally did something right became an embarrassment," Reynolds said as his anger was replaced by sadness. Suddenly Reynolds turned and walked out of the room, leaving the door open. Mac leaned to his right a little to get a better view of the doorway. He could see a wooden stairway leading up and to the left and a small light over the door, but that was it. Suddenly the man came back in the room with a small, box of supplies. Mac couldn't see what was in the box.

"You took my honor…now it's time I returned the favor," Reynolds said with a smile as he set the box on the table and approached Mac.


	15. Smile for the Camera

"Okay so all we know is that our suspect is a white male, about six feet and a medium build. We believe it is the man who initially shot Mac," Jo said to the crowd in the conference room.

"The blood found in the parking garage belongs to Mac and another unknown donor, our suspect. We ran it, but we didn't get a hit in CODIS," Danny explained.

"We are putting a trace on Mac's Avalanche, but I doubt the suspect kept it with him, but he might have left evidence behind while driving it so, hopefully we'll pick it up" Flack shared with the group.

"We will have to-," Jo started but was cut off as a beep came from behind her. She turned around and looked at her computer screen…she had one new e-mail. She didn't recognize the sender, but opened the e-mail anyway. The message read _**I have something that belongs to you**_.

"What is it Jo?" Don asked getting up and walking towards her. He looked at the screen and shook his head, holding in his anger. He looked at the screen again and noticed something.

"Hey, there's an attachment," He said pointing at the screen. As she opened it a video loaded and the rest of the team including Lindsay, Danny, Sid, Adam, George and Sheldon watched as she hit play. She pulled the video on the big screen in the conference room so the whole team could watch. As the video started all they saw was black then a voice started talking.

"Good Afternoon Detectives… I bet you are wondering what this is all about and let me tell you, you are in for a bumpy ride. First, let us welcome our main guest…Detective Mac Taylor…please hold your applause until the end," the man said, laughing as he aimed the camera to the right and turned on a light. "Smile for the camera Mac," the man said, laughing and Jo felt her heart clench at the sight of Mac. His nose was bloody and he had several cuts on his face. His mouth was gagged and his arms were handcuffed to a wooden chair. Jo looked over at George, who had his face buried in his hands. Mac looked exhausted and Jo could tell Mac was hiding the amount of pain he was really in. The man talking was exactly the same height and build that Palorichhi had described. He had chin length wavy, brown hair and had a merciless grin plastered on his face.

"You know I was surprised that you survived my shot, but now that I think about it I would say that it was fate…do you believe in fate Mac?" the man asked as he came back into the view of the camera with a knife in hand. He stood behind Mac and held the knife to his neck, while looking directly at the camera. Jo felt her heart beat quicken and knew the feeling was mutual throughout the whole room. She heard Danny swear under his breath as he watched the man softly drag the knife across Mac's neck. The knife nicked Mac's neck and a small trickle of blood flowed down it.

"I don't imagine you do…you seem like a very practical man," the man said as he pulled the knife away from Mac's neck and moved out of the view of the camera once again. Jo could hear the sound of scraping and shuffling as the man worked out of view. Mac kept his gaze to his feet rather than the camera.

"I don't believe in much detective, but I do believe in fate, destiny, chance…whatever you want to call it…I also believe in revenge," the man said as he came back into view, this time with a fireplace poker that was red hot. He walked towards Mac with the poker resting casually in his hand.

"I warmed this baby up just for this occasion," the man said as he stood next to Mac. "Do you know what it's like to be a disgrace and embarrassment for twenty years? To not be able to look your own father in the eyes? Do you know how that feels?" the man asked as he looked Mac in the eyes. "Well… I'm about to show you," the man said as he raised the poker and inched it towards Mac's chest.


	16. Following the Evidence

Lindsay's heart beat quickened as she watched the man inch the poker closer to Mac's chest. The man moved the poker to Mac's collar and the poker singed it. She heard a curse come from behind her as the man moved the poker down Mac's shirt, not touching his skin yet. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the man pull the poker away and turn towards the camera.

"Here's the deal…I'm not going to kill your fearless leader just yet, but for every hour that you don't come and rescue him he will endure a little pain," the man said as he looked into the camera, smiling. Lindsay let out a small breath of relief, at least they had one hour until Mac had to endure this man's torture.

"Starting now!" the man said suddenly, laughing maniacally and pressed the glowing, red hot poker to Mac's chest. Lindsay's heart cringed as she heard Mac's cry of pain and then the camera's footage suddenly turned black and the video ended. Lindsay held back the tears that she could feel coming and looked around at the rest of the team. Don was standing and cursing to himself, Jo was still starring at the computer screen and her facial expression told Lindsay they were feeling the same thing. Danny's face was stone cold and his eyes were staring straight ahead, Sid had a sad and horrified expression on his face that mirrored Adam's face. George's face was still buried in his hands with his elbows propped on the table. The heavy silence in the room was broken when Don's cell phone rang.

"Flack," he said answering it sharply. "Yeah…ok…we'll head right over…ok bye," Flack said and as he hung up the phone everyone stared at him. "Two uniforms found Mac's Avalanche on 16th and Lincoln…I'm going to head over there right now," Flack said.

"I'll go with you," Danny said and Don nodded. As they both left, Jo finally gained her composure and turned to Adam.

"Adam, I'll send you the video and see if you can grab any sounds or images in the background that will tell us where Mac is being held," Jo said seriously.

"Ok," Adam said and left to go work at his computer station.

"Sheldon, take a look at Mac's clothes from the shooting again…maybe we missed something," Jo said.

"Considerate done," Sheldon said, leaving.

"Lindsay, see if Adam can get a good picture of Mac's kidnappers face and use it to search the databases for a name," Jo said and Lindsay nodded and took her leave. Jo was about to leave the room when she realized Sid was still in the room.

"You know where I'll be…if you need anything…anything at all…come and get me…I want help find Mac," Sid said quietly. Jo nodded and then watched as Sid left and headed towards the morgue. She took in a deep breath and then headed towards her office…she had one hour to save Mac from more torture.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Adam put on his headphones and played the video again. The background was black through the whole thing except for the little light that was cast on Mac. Adam was about to give up hope on finding a helpful image from the video when a small, glimmer caught his eyes about three minutes into the video. Adam paused the video and squinted at the screen and then zoomed in. The image was blurry, but Adam could see a metal pipe that ran along the wall, but due to the dark atmosphere was only visible for a second. Adam held in his breath as he noticed very small writing stamped into the pipe. He zoomed in further and cleared up the image and held in his scream of joy as he read the inscription on the pipe.

XXXXXXXXX

Lindsay walked into Adam's small computer station and saw a huge grin on his face.

"I have a grainy picture of Mac's kidnapper saved on this USB," Adam said as he handed it to her, without looking her.

"Thanks," Lindsay said, leaving the room. She looked back and saw Adam jump out of his chair and pump his fists through the air.

XXXXXXXXXX

The whole team met in the conference room forty-five minutes later to discuss their findings.

"Okay we've got fifteen minutes until we hit the hour mark," Don said.

"Danny you first," Jo said as everyone suddenly tried talking at the same time.

"I processed Mac's Avalanche and found more of Mac's blood and the second donors. Also I found some kind of organic plant material on the gas pedal. I'm running it through the system for a match as we speak," Danny said.

"Ok tell me what you find…ok Adam what do you got?" she asked and Danny left as Adam started talking excitedly.

"I looked through the video and the only background item that was visible was a pipe that runs across the wall behind Mac. I looked closer at the pipe and found writing on it…it turned out to be a company's name…Metro Bell Plumbing and Heating. I looked up all buildings in New York that contracted them and only found two hundred, luckily they were a small business that only lasted for about two years. Then I looked at the sound in the background of the video. I isolated the kidnappers voice and any sound made by the building itself and I could hear a subway train and running water," Adam said. "Being the amazing nerd that I am I managed to narrow our search even further by crossing all the factors together… I came up with five buildings all in a three mile radius of each other," Adam said proudly.

"Ok great! can you e-mail the addresses to me?" Jo asked.

"Yeah no problem," Adam said.

"Lindsay?" Jo asked.

"I did a search through every possible database in the country using the picture Adam gave me and I got a match," Lindsay said as she handed Jo a file.

"Private Ian Reynolds?" Jo read and then looked up at Lindsay.

"He served in the Marine Corp in 1991 in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm," Lindsay said.

"You think he knew Mac from the military?" Jo asked.

"I think so, but I'm going to dig into the past a little and see if I can confirm the connection, but I did get an address on Reynolds," Lindsay said and handed a sheet of paper to Jo.

"Okay…Don round up a team and meet me at 12th and Farley in ten minutes," Jo said as she read the address on the paper. Don quickly left and Jo looked down at her watch…They only had ten minutes to save Mac from the tight grasps of pain and death.


	17. The Facts

Jo, Don and Danny stood in front of Ian Reynolds' house with a team, ready to enter. Don looked back at Jo and Danny, nodded and then they all entered the building silently. The rooms were all dimly lit, but Jo could still see Don in front of her, checking all the rooms. Danny signaled across the room that it was all clear on his side. Jo was about to turn around when she heard a muffled voice. She looked at Don and she could tell that he had heard it too. She silently called Danny over and she examined the floor closely. The voices were defiantly coming from below them. Danny pulled back the carpet and a small trap door was revealed. Danny opened it as quietly as he possibly could and they all pulled out their flashlights. The voices got louder as they descended the staircase to a basement. Don was directly in front of her and Danny was behind her. She could hear the voice clearly now and her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the voice from the video…it was Ian Reynolds. They came to a door at the bottom of the staircase and they all held their breath as Don kicked it in.

"NYPD!" they all yelled and moved into the room. Jo immediately recognized the room from the video but there was two things missing…Ian Reynolds and Mac. In their place was a TV that was playing a video. They all holstered their weapons and Jo stepped close to the TV. Her heart immediately dropped as she watched it…Ian Reynolds was sitting in a chair in front of them on the screen.

"Hello Detectives…you know what this means right? Your time is up... now unfortunately poor Mac will pay the price for your failure…I will be in touch very soon," Ian said and then with one last wicked grin he was gone and the video started to replay itself. Jo heard Don curse under his breath and he kicked the chair next to him, sending it flying.

"Don't worry we'll catch him Don," Danny said. Jo wasn't so sure that she could agree with Danny. It seemed like the closer they thought they were to rescuing Mac the farther they got actually got.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Jo arrived at the lab and walked up to Lindsay.

"Anything?" Lindsay asked, looking hopeful.

"Reynolds was long gone, but he did leave a video for us and he said that we would be hearing from him soon," Jo said and immediately watched as Lindsay's face lost the hope it had been carrying the moment before. "Adam and Hawkes are at Reynolds' house, processing it, so don't worry we'll get some new leads," Jo said and realized that now all they could do was wait.

XXXXXXXXXXX

IN NEW ORLEANS

Stella was sitting at her desk, finishing a case file when she heard a beep that told her she had a new e-mail. She set her pen down and looked at her computer screen. The new message was sent from an e-mail address that she didn't recognize, but she decided to open it anyways.

_**The definition of love is an intense feeling of deep affection, trust and respect towards someone…you would do anything for them…so tell me Detective…who do you love?**_

She blinked hard and read the message again. Was this some kind of joke? It made no sense. Stella shook her head and was about to delete the message when she noticed a video attachment. She clicked on it and a video instantly popped up. The screen was black at first and then a voice started to talk.

"Greetings Detective…you are probably very confused…I know I would be," a man's voice said. Something in the man's voice sent a chill up her spine. "When I'm confused I like to piece everything together and analyze it carefully as if solving a riddle…that's hard to do without all the facts…am I right?" the voice said and a man came into view of the camera. "I'll give you the facts detective, "the man said and the camera was moved and a light was turned on. Stella's heart dropped in her chest when she saw Mac.

"Oh my god…Mac," Stella whispered to herself as she covered her mouth with her hand. Mac was sitting in a chair with his arms and legs tied behind him and his mouth gagged. He had several large cuts on his face and his nose and mouth were bloody. He looked exhausted and Stella could tell he was in a lot of pain.

"The facts are your dear friend is in quite a bit of pain…wouldn't you agree Mac?" the man asked as he knelt by Mac, both of them facing the camera. Mac's eyes were on the floor while his captor's eyes looked threateningly into the camera. The man laughed and moved out of the view of the camera. Stella could hear the man moving something around. When he came back into view he had something in his hands. Stella squinted at the video to see what it was and once she recognized it her breath caught in her throat.

"No…no," she whispered as the man lifted the cattle prod and sent a jolt of electricity through the tip of it as he approached Mac.

"The facts are that for every hour you do not catch me your friend will suffer torture … as every hour chimes by the torture will get more painful…more unbearable," the man said as he paced in front of the camera. "Remember Detective there are only so many hours in a day …at the end of the day it'll all come down to the facts and whether or not you succeeded in connecting them," the man said. Stella watched in horror as the man pressed the cattle prod against Mac's chest and sent a jolt of electricity shooting through his body. Mac's cry of pain was muffled by the gag in his mouth, but it still made tears well up in Stella's eyes. She watched as the man lowered the prod and pressed it against Mac's leg. Mac's cry of pain was weaker this time and Stella knew the pain was dragging him towards unconsciousness.

"As a wise man once said "Everything's connected"," the man said and with one last cold laugh the video ended. Stella immediately got out of her seat and grabbed her jacket, pulling out her phone and dialing a number.

"Detective Messer," she heard Lindsay voice on the other line answer.

"Hey Linds…I'm coming to New York," Stella said and walked out of her office and towards the exit.


	18. What's Next?

Lindsay was pacing the small area in front of the lab's elevator as she waited for Stella to arrive. It had been almost an hour since Stella had called and they still hadn't gotten video…thank god. She was about to turn and check in with Jo when she heard the elevator doors open. Stella stepped out and Lindsay immediately threw her arms around her old friend.

"Stel-I'm so glad you're here," Lindsay said into Stella's shoulder.

"It's great to see you Lindsay," Stella said, smiling grimly as they separated.

"That was fast," Lindsay said, surprised that Stella had arrived in New York so quickly.

"It was an emergency, so I used some extra resources," Stella explained. Lindsay took a deep breath and was about to tell Stella that Mac was kidnapped when Stella started speaking.

"Lindsay I got a video…It was terrible…Mac's in trouble," Stella said quickly in a panicked voice.

"Oh no…he sent you a video too?" Lindsay said.

"How long has Mac been missing? How many hours have passed?" Stella asked, fearing the answer.

"Two, but we've only received one video…thank god," Lindsay said.

"I think I have the second," Stella said and she held up a small disk.

XXXXXXXXXX

Stella looked around the conference room as the video she had received finished playing. The whole team had pained expressions on their faces and she heard a few curse words fly through the air. She had met her replacement, Jo Danville and she truly liked her. They both had the same strength and need for justice. She was a little jealous that Jo got to work side by side with Mac, but Stella had given that up when she took the job in New Orleans, leaving her family behind. Stella was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts as Danny spoke.

"We've got fifteen minutes until we hit another hour mark and we've got nothing," he said, angry.

"We found prints at the suspect's house…that'll lead us closer to finding Mac," Adam said quietly.

"Yeah maybe…maybe Adam…or maybe it will tell us what we already know…its Ian Reynolds…that's not going to help us unless that print can tell us exactly where Reynolds has Mac," Danny snapped at Adam. Adam nodded and looked down at his feet, not replying. Stella could see the guilt on Danny's face as he looked back at Adam. Tension hung thick in the room as they all stood in silence for a moment.

"Let's start with what we know," Sheldon said calmly, breaking the silence.

"Ok…we know Ian Reynolds is Mac's kidnapper…but what's his motive?" Don asked.

"He served in the Marines with Mac… he was given a dishonorable discharge when he nearly killed and unarmed Iraqi man and his son," Lindsay said, reading from a file.

"What does that have to do with Mac?" Sid asked.

"Mac was there… he was the one who stopped Reynolds from killing the civilians," Lindsay read.

"Well, there had to be other soldiers in the patrol," Palorichhi said, finally speaking up.

"Mac was leading the patrol and there was three other men with him…Jeffery Kinney, Aaron Harting and Joseph Vissiano…they all backed Mac," Lindsay said as she continued to read from a file.

"I'll look them up and see if they can give us any insight on Reynolds and where he might have Mac," don said and collected the soldiers' names from Lindsay.

"So is this all just about revenge for something that happened twenty years ago?" Danny asked, stunned.

"A dishonorable discharge is very serious…it follows you your whole life," Jo said. "To some people honor is everything."

XXXXXXXXXXX

The whole team still sat in the conference room…they had about five minutes until they hit another hour mark. Don came running back into the room.

"I just talked with Jeff Kinney on the phone…he was one of the soldiers in the patrol and he just said he got a call a few days ago from a man who claimed to be death….sound familiar?" Don asked, grinning.

"Reynolds…did you get the phone number?" Stella asked.

"Yep right here," Don said and handed a piece of paper to Jo, who dialed the number and put the phone on speaker phone. It rang several times until a male voice answered it.

"Well, I must admit I'm surprised," Ian Reynolds said on the other line. "I thought it would take you guys longer to get my number."

"We know about your dishonorable discharge too," Don said and heard Ian take a sharp intake of breath.

"Well…well…well… I'm proud that you did your homework," Reynolds said, quickly recovering from his surprise. "Then you realize that I didn't deserve it…they should have been pinning a medal on my chest instead of stripping me of my honor and dignity," Reynolds said, getting angry.

"You almost killed an innocent man and his son," Flack said.

"They were a threat!" Reynolds yelled suddenly. He was silent for several long moments. "I should have realized that you would take the side of your friend," he said, regaining control of his emotions and calming down.

"If I had been there I wouldn't have been as nice as Mac…I would've shot your crazy ass," Flack said and Reynolds just laughed.

"Always the tough guy Detective Flack," Reynolds said, still chuckling. "A lot like Detective Taylor here, but don't worry…I'm fixing that," he added and Stella could hear his smile.

"You better pray to god that I'm not in the room when they arrest you…you won't have to worry about your honor because you'll be so black and blue no one will recognize you," Flack said through gritted teeth and Reynolds just laughed loudly.

"Well as much as I'd love sit here and listen to your empty threats detective I do have a prior engagement…I wouldn't want to keep Mac waiting too long," Reynolds said and with one last laugh he hung up.

"Was that long enough?" Don asked Adam, who had been sitting at the computer trying to trace the call.

"No," Adam said and Don sighed.

"What next?" Don asked, looking at Stella. Stella was about to answer when she heard a beep from the computer… they had just received another video.


	19. Out of Time

Stella slowly sat down as Jo put the video on the big screen for the whole team to see. She took a deep breath as the camera turned. She felt her heart cringe as she saw Mac again. Mac's arms were now chained above his head as his legs dangled off the ground slightly. His shirt was ripped down the middle and she could see blood on the t-shirt underneath it. Stella also noticed that Mac still had his badge clipped to his belt.

"I have a problem," Ian started, pacing in front of Mac. "Can you guess the problem Mac?" Reynolds asked as he pulled the gag off of Mac's mouth. Mac took a deep breath and glared at Ian. Mac didn't answer he just continued to glare angrily at Reynolds

"Is it the whole honor thing again?" Mac asked and Reynolds punched him again, this time in the stomach. Stella watched as Mac tried to catch his breath.

"Mac stop," she heard Lindsay whisper from behind her.

"You're a funny guy…" Reynolds said chuckling lightly to himself, pulling up a chair to sit next to Mac. "Unfortunately you've ran out of time," Reynolds said and Stella felt her blood run cold. She turned and looked at Don who looked utterly terrified. They still had time, she thought to herself. They had at least three hours until the end of the day! "Your colleagues have failed you…your friends have failed you…just like you failed me," Reynolds said, harshly. Mac just glared at Reynolds.

"Now you're quiet," Reynolds said. "You don't have anything to say? No smart ass remark?" he asked, growing impatient of Mac's silence. Mac just glared up at him, not even making an effort to comply.

"Answer me!" Reynolds screamed and slapped Mac across the face. Mac looked up at Reynolds with a look that Stella had never saw him make… it was a look filled with utter hatred…plain and simple.

"No," he said through gritted teeth.

"Everyone's failed you…I'm about to kill you… and you have nothing to say?" Reynolds said, staring at Mac disbelieving.

"I have one thing to say," Mac said.

"I'm all ears," Reynolds asked.

" You're a disgrace to any man who's ever worn a uniform…I'll never regret stopping you from killing that man no matter what you do to me…you deserved what you got…and you'll get what you deserve when my team hunts you down…I hope you rot in jail," Mac said. Stella was surprised to see Reynolds laughing.

"You honestly think your little team of nerds will catch me?" Reynolds asked, shaking with mad laughter. "Once I have killed you I will end all of this," he said, no longer laughing. Stella wasn't sure what he meant, but she was just praying he wouldn't kill Mac.

XXXXXXXXX

Mac watched as Reynolds paced in front of him, his anger building. Mac knew that Reynolds was going to kill him…there was no way that he could escape. He was alone…his arms ached from holding his own body weight up, so that the chains didn't dig into his hands. Mac could taste blood in his mouth and he could feel it on his face. His chest felt like it was on fire from the burn he had from the poker and the shocks he had received from the prod. Even if he had the chance to fight back he wouldn't be able to…he could barely move.

"Do you know how long I have waited for this moment?" Reynolds asked. "Twenty years…twenty years of shame and misery just to experience this moment," he said now only talking to Mac…no longer speaking into the camera. Mac hoped his team wouldn't have to watch him die. Mac was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt a hard blow to his face…then another to his chest. The blows came again and again until Mac could barely breathe. When the punches finally stopped Mac felt the pain hit him in waves. The room appeared to be spinning and when Reynolds spoke Mac could only hear a muffled sound. He blinked hard and tried to clear his head. He forced himself to stay conscious.

"You know what? I feel kinda bad…I haven't allowed you to fight back," Reynolds said in mock sympathy. Mac could see the blurry image of Reynolds approaching him and then he felt himself falling to the floor. He was glad that his arms could rest, but hitting the ground had caused more pain to thunder through his body. He tried to force himself up, but couldn't. He needed to fight back…he wasn't going to die like this.

"C'mon Detective get up and face death like a man," Reynolds taunted Mac from above. Mac finally managed to shakily clamber to his feet. He stood and faced Reynolds, who was smiling at him evilly. Mac barely saw the fist flying at him, but he managed to grab it before it made contact with his weak body. He twisted the arm and tried to pull it behind Reynolds's back, but he was kicked in the chest and he flew backwards. He felt himself hit the table before he hit the cold ground.

"Is that all you got Major?" Reynolds asked, looming over him as a shadow. Mac held in his pain as he kicked his foot out. Reynolds must not have been expecting Mac to move so fast because as the kick hit him in the shin, he collapsed on the ground. Mac quickly forced himself on top of Reynolds and he punched him twice in the face before he was thrown off. He landed on his left side and judging by the amount of pain that jolted through his body he was sure he had at least one broken rib. Mac quickly recovered and pushed himself to his feet again to face Reynolds. Reynolds charged at him and tried to punch him in his tender ribs, but Mac grabbed his hand and held it away as he elbowed Ian in the face with his other arm. Mac tried to put him into a rear choke hold, but Reynolds grabbed his arm and swept his feet out from under him. Mac landed solidly on his back with the breath knocked out of him. Reynolds put a foot on Mac's chest to hold him down and Mac yelled out in pain as his broken rib throbbed against the pressure. The room was looming in and out of view as he started to lose consciousness. He looked up into the blackness and saw the cold, angry eyes of the past looming down on him. What they say is true…the past really does catch up with you…whether you are ready or not.

"It's disappointing really…you let yourself slide away from discipline Major…I guess it comes with age," Reynolds said as he smiled down at Mac. Mac felt the anger boil inside his chest and he felt a rush of adrenaline. He wasn't going to die like this…not at the mercy of this man…not in front of his team. Mac grabbed Reynolds' foot and twisted it off his chest and pushed it backwards. Reynolds was caught off guard and he tumbled backwards on his back, allowing Mac to get up again. Mac stood over Reynolds and kicked him in the chest. Reynolds got back up and was out of breath just as much as Mac was, but not in nearly the same amount of pain. Mac walked towards Reynolds and kicked his foot out, landing it on the inside of Reynolds' thigh, causing him to spin slightly as he fell to the floor.

"You never had any discipline Ian…you fought like a street fighter…all anger," Mac said as Reynolds got back on his feet. Mac started circling Reynolds, trying to get him away from the table that held the box of weapons, so he himself could move in and grab one…it was his only option. Reynolds flew at Mac again with an angry scream. Mac prepared himself for the attack and as Reynolds threw a punch at him he flicked his elbow out and caught Reynolds in the wrist and judging by his scream Mac figured he either fractured or broke it. Mac was about to attack him again when he saw Reynolds flip something out of his pocket. Mac saw the glint of metal and the anger and hatred on Ian's bloody face and knew he was in trouble.

XXXXXXXXX

Don felt his whole body freeze and his heart drop in his chest as he spotted the knife in Reynolds' hand. Mac had been fighting back strong and was winning, but now he had no chance…not when it was man vs. knife.

"I was always better with weapons than fists," Reynolds said and walked towards Mac. Don could tell from the way he held it that Reynolds was a pro with a knife. Don watched as Mac pulled his badge off his belt and held it in his hand, with the pointed edges facing away from him…it was his only weapon. When Reynolds slashed the knife at Mac, Mac dodged it, shifted and stabbed Reynolds in the arm with his badge. Reynolds yelled in pain as he pulled Mac's badge out of his arm and threw it to the side. Reynolds swung the knife at Mac again, Mac tried to dodge it but it cut his arm open. Mac stumbled in pain and Reynolds took the opportunity to punch him in the face. Mac fell to the ground and didn't get back up. Don could hear Lindsay crying behind him as Danny tried to comfort her through his anger. Get up Mac…get up, Don's mind yelled, but Mac didn't move. Reynolds looked directly at the camera, flipped the knife in his hand and threw it at the camera, stopping the footage. Don just stared at the screen hoping…praying that it would come back on and Mac would be ok. He turned around and saw Lindsay crying in to Danny's shoulder and Stella covering her mouth with her hand as tears filled her eyes. They all sat in stunned and terrified silence for what seemed like hours when suddenly Don heard a beep and a message appeared on the screen. It read.

_**I have a present for you...it's at 1232 3**__**rd**__** Avenue…Merry Christmas :)  
><strong>_


	20. Gone

Stella felt dread, utter dread as they approached the address Reynolds had given them. The whole team, except for Adam and Sid, had come along and they were all clad in bullet proof vests and their guns. As they came to a stop at the doorway Danny threw a small camera into the room, so they could make sure there were no traps. Stella peered over Danny's shoulder, at the screen that was projecting what the camera inside the room saw. Danny cleared that there were no traps and they all headed into the building. The building only had three rooms on the blueprints that Adam had pulled up on the computer for them earlier, so they only had to split up into three groups. Stella was with Danny and Lindsay as they went down the stairs and into the basement. Stella felt something touch her shoulder as she walked and her hand instinctively grabbed it. She realized in was a chain and she pulled on it, illuminating the room with a dim light. She turned the corner and as the light poured into the room she saw Mac. His hands were handcuffed above his head and a metal hook was holding the handcuffs up in the air. The metal hook had a long chain that led to the ceiling of the room and was just the right height so Mac's arms had to hold all his weight as he dangled with his knees barely touching the ground.

"Mac!" she yelled running to him. She heard Lindsay and Danny running with her.

"Oh god…Mac" Stella said as she felt tears sting her eyes. She tried to lift Mac's head, which was drooping so that his chin touched his chest. She had to hold his face in her hands to keep it up. His eyes were closed, but she could feel a very faint pulse on his neck. She noticed a big gash above his eye and defensive cuts on his arms that hadn't been there during the video. As she gently wiped a drop of blood off his face she saw his eyes flicker open.

"Mac? Can you hear me?" Stella asked as she looked into his eyes, which were barely open. Mac didn't reply...she wasn't even sure if he could. Danny tried to lift the handcuffs off the hook, so Mac wouldn't be in as much pain, but Mac's dead weight was too much for Danny to lift by himself. Stella heard Danny yell for Don as Lindsay called EMS. Mac groaned in pain as Don arrived and he and Danny tried to lift him off the hook again.

"We almost got it buddy…hang in there," Don said. With one last lift they managed to free Mac from the hook and they uncuffed him. They gently laid him on his back, on the ground. Stella could tell that Mac's whole body was aching from the beating he had taken from Reynolds and he didn't look like he could hold on much longer. He seemed to have blood almost everywhere on his body. Mac looked up at Stella and tried to talk, but it caused him more pain.

"Shh…don't say anything," Stella whispered to him as she held his head in her lap. Stella had never been a religious person, but right now she was praying to God to let Mac live. Stella could see the life leaving Mac as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"Don't close your eyes Mac…don't you dare," Danny yelled at Mac as he gripped his hand tightly in his own and lightly tapped Mac's face with his other hand. As Mac laid there dying in her arms something hit her. She loved him…she had loved him for a long time. The fear of losing him had prevented her from ever acting on her feelings. At first she had thought that her feelings for Mac were just her hearts way of attempting to end her loneliness and there was no one else but Mac, but she knew now that she truly loved him. She loved him because he was the kindest and most caring man she had ever met and his heart was always in the right place..he saw her for who she really was and never asked her to change because he was her best friend. She knew Mac didn't have a lot of fight left in him…if any. He had spent his whole life fighting for the people around him and now he didn't have enough left in him to fight for himself.

"Fight Mac…one last time…fight…please…for me…for us," Stella whispered to him as his eyelids started to flutter close.

"Stel-," Mac whispered and with one last breath his eyes closed and he was gone…..


	21. Last Stand

The morgue was cold…colder than normal as a slight chill seemed to creep around in the air. Only one man stood in the morgue while the other lay still on the autopsy table…permanently still. Sid looked down at Mac's cold and vacant body and felt tears sting his eyes, his heart seemed to weigh ten pounds more than it normally did.

"Mac," he whispered as he looked down at his friend, scalpel in hand ready to make the first cut. Sid couldn't count the number of times he had cut into a dead body, but this time was different. This was one of his closest friends…someone he had seen walking and talking only hours before. Sid moved his hand towards Macs chest to make the first cut, but he found that it wouldn't move. Sid's vision became blurry as tears filled his downcast eyes and dropped in small, salty dots onto the lens of his glasses. Suddenly a hand landed on his shoulder and he turned around to see Sheldon looking at him. Sid could see the same pain he felt reflected back at him through Sheldon's eyes.

"Sid why don't you let me get another M.E.," he said.

"I can't do it," Sid said and dropped the scalpel. They both took one last long look at Mac and left the morgue.

XXXXXXX

Jeff Perry was new to the morgue and had just become a pathologist. He stood over Detective Mac Taylor with a scalpel in his hand. He had not known Detective Taylor long, but he had liked him and found it hard to cut into someone he had once seen living. He slowly moved the scalpel towards Mac's chest and was about to make the first cut when the morgue's sliding door opened behind him.

"Sid you don't-," Jeff started as he turned around, ready to kick Sid out of the morgue. Instead of Sid he saw a man he did not recognize.

"Hey, you can't be in here," Jeff started, but was silenced as the butt end of a gun came crashing down on his head. He crumpled to the floor and his eyes slowly drifted close, shutting out the pain.

XXXXXXX

Stella stood in the silent conference room with the rest of the team. The silence mingled with grief and pain in the air around them, making it difficult to think and breathe at the same time. She had spent the whole night crying over the loss of her best friend. She had tried to sleep, but every time her eyes had drifted close an image of Mac would appear…he would be laughing or smiling and then he would be gone again and reality would hit her, followed by the pain. She could tell the rest of the team was in the same stages of grief because they all had red, blood shot eyes. They had all been sitting together for twenty minutes, but no one had spoken yet. They were supposed to be planning the memorial service for Mac. Finally Stella managed to muster up the strength to speak.

"He didn't have any relatives left, so this is our job…we were-we are his family," Stella said and everyone nodded solemnly.

"It will be a full dress service…I already checked with the Chief," Don said, quietly. They all sat in silence for a few more moments.

"I would like to speak at the service," Sid said, quietly and everyone turned to him.

"He would've liked that," Stella said, smiling softly.

"My cousin owns a floral shop…I could get the flowers for the service there," Don said.

"I'll help you pick them out," Jo said and Don nodded.

"I know-," Stella started, but was interrupted as Jeff Perry came bursting into the room. He had a little bit of blood on his forehead and appeared terrified. Upon seeing the expression on his face they all stood up.

"He's gone…Mac's body…stolen…gone," Perry said, trying to catch his breath. They all shared the same horrified and shocked expression as they stood in a stunned silence.

XXXXXXXXX

"Why the hell would Reynolds steal Mac's body," Don said, his voice slightly raised and filled with anger.

"A better question is how the hell did Reynolds even get into the building let alone the lab," Danny said.

"He had to get by security…Don, check and see what the guards have to say and Adam, you check all the security footage near and inside the building," Jo said. As Don and Adam left the rest of the team sat in the room.

"Why would he lead us to Mac and then steal his body back?" Sheldon asked.

"To prove to us that Mac is dead and then taunt us," Danny said, shaking with anger. Stella was about to speak when a uniformed officer stuck his head in the doorway. Stella recognized the officer as senior officer Franklin Murray.

"Has anyone seen Officer Palorichhi?" he asked.

"No…I think he is helping canvas the area for Reynolds," Danny said.

"Ok," Murray said and then grew somber. "I'm sorry about Mac…he was a great man," he said and then left.

"We're going to catch this Son of a bitch…whatever it takes," Danny said and left the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Any news?" Don asked Danny as he walked into the lab.

"No, Reynolds is still in the wind," Danny said. They both stood staring down the halls of the lab. Normally the halls would have been filled with heavy foot traffic, but today it was calm and only a few lab techs passed by.

"It feels empty doesn't it?" Danny asked Don as they both stood still staring at the area surrounding them. Don didn't say anything, he just nodded his agreement. As they walked towards the conference room they ran into Hawkes, who was jogging and appeared to have been looking for them.

"Hey guys, we got a lead on Reynolds. A man reported to have seen a man matching his description leaving an old warehouse on 16th and Grant," Sheldon said as they all walked quickly to the elevators. "Stella, Jo and Lindsay are already on their way…they'll meet us there," Hawkes added and the elevator doors closed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Stella stood with rest of the team outside the abandoned warehouse, strapping on a bullet proof vest and loading her gun. She was ready to put this sick bastard down. Don and Danny led the way as they burst through the door of the warehouse. They walked slowly, using their flashlights to see. Stella saw a small light up ahead and as they approached it they saw Reynolds. He was sitting in a lazy boy chair with a wicked grin on his face. A small lamp was lit next to him, illuminating his eyes that were full of evil and hatred.

"NYPD…put your hands in the air and drop to your knees," Don yelled at Reynolds as they approached him, guns raised. Reynolds made no attempt to move, he just continued to sit with his hands tucked at his sides and a wide smirk on his face. Stella could tell Don wanted to shoot Reynolds and his patience was waning fast.

"Do it!" Don shouted at him, his gun pointed directly at Reynolds.

"Or what…are you going to shoot me detective? You would hurt an unarmed man?" Reynolds asked, mocking them. "I think that would upset Mac…you know how much he was against hurting the unarmed whether they are innocent or not," he said, obviously referring to his actions in Kuwait. Stella saw Don tighten his grip on the gun, but then slowly lower it.

"I'm not going to shoot you, but you are under arrest," Don said and nodded to a few uniforms to cuff him.

"Now that's disappointing…I thought we were becoming friends…ah well you know what they say, never explain yourself…Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe it," Reynolds said, smiling. "I think we should just slow down here and give ourselves time to clear our heads," he added and the uniformed officers retreated a few steps. "I don't want to see anyone get hurt," Reynolds said as he stood. Stella immediately saw Don raise his weapon again.

"If you resist arrest we will have to hurt you," Don said.

"It's not me I'm worried about," Reynolds said as he drew a gun from his waistband. As he raised the gun and pointed it at them several shots pierced through the air. Stella watched as bullets flew from every direction at Reynolds and struck him in the chest one after another. His chest erupted in a blur of red mist as each bullet plunged into his body. His whole body fell backwards until it hit the ground. Stella holstered her weapon and saw that Don's and several uniformed officers' guns were all smoking from the fatal bullets they had fired at Reynolds. She ran over to Reynolds, who was now lying on his back in a pool of his own blood.

"It's…not…over," Reynolds gasped out, a grin still playing on his face. He looked past Stella's head as if someone was standing behind her and then his eyes slowly closed and his body lay still. The monster was dead and the man called death had finally been defeated.


	22. Funeral For a Friend

Stella stood in the empty warehouse and watched as the M.E. carted away Reynolds' body. She felt a slight emptiness in her chest as she watched him go. There was nothing left to do except mourn and face reality. She turned and looked at Don and Danny, who were walking towards her.

"If Reynolds stole Mac's body it's not here," Don said as they stood in front of her.

"You don't think it was him?" Stella couldn't believe it.

"I think he had help and either he took Mac's body to screw with us or he had something planned," Don assumed.

"It seemed like he was waiting for us…if he had something planned why would he have just sat there?" Stella asked.

"Maybe once he realized we were here he decided he wanted to die his way," Danny suggested.

"With his honor," Don added.

"It's not over," Stella said, repeating Reynolds last words.

XXXXXXXXX

Stella sat in the break room with Jo and Lindsay, sorting through old pictures of Mac. Lindsay was showing them ones of him and Lucy together. Stella smiled as she picked one up where Mac was holding Lucy, smiling at the camera as Lucy waved at it, grinning. Stella looked over at Lindsay and noticed she was crying while looking at a picture that she had in her hand. Stella gently placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at the picture. In the picture Mac was sitting in his office chair with Lucy in his lap, pointing to something on his desk that was making Lucy laugh.

"She adored him," Lindsay murmured as she stared at the photo.

"I know," Stella said as she hugged Lindsay. For almost two hours Lindsay, Stella and Jo sat in the break room crying and laughing over old pictures and memories. Don eventually walked into the break room and took a seat next to them.

"I got a call from Jeff Kinney…he sends his regards and says that he and the rest of Mac's old marine platoon will be at the service," Don mentioned as he picked up a photo and laughed. "This was after the Cubs lost to the Mets," Don said as he held the picture up for them to see. In the picture Mac had Danny in a headlock as Don laughed off to the side. "Danny insulted the Cubs right in front of Mac," Don chuckled at the memory. Stella, Lindsay and Jo all laughed at the photo and the thought of Danny struggling to get out of the headlock. They all sat in silence, soaking in all the memories.

XXXXXXXXX

Stella stood in front of the mirror looking herself over. She had a simple black strap dress and black heels on. Her hair was tied neatly in a ponytail…well as neat has she could get her unruly curls. She wiped under her eyes once more as a few more tears leaked out. She went in to bathroom and made sure she put on water proof mascara. After a few final touches she was ready. She drove the thirty minutes it took to get to St. Theresa's Church and sat in her car for a few minutes when she got there. She wiped away a few stray tears from her eyes again, took a deep breath and got out of her car. She noticed that there were already at least thirty cop cars lined up in the parking lot. She knew the Mayor had ordered a full dress funeral for Mac, but when she walked into the chapel her breath caught in her throat. The whole aisle up to the front of the church was lined with Marines and Officers who stood at attention. There were at least a hundred other officers sitting in the pews. Stella walked to the front of the church where the rest of the team would be sitting. As she passed pews she noticed a lot of familiar faces. Stella noticed a group of two men who looked vaguely familiar and then she realized it was Jeff Kinney and Joseph Vissiano, from Mac's Marine platoon. She saw Chief Sinclair, sitting with the Mayor and a teary eyed Jordan Gates. Stella also saw Quinn Shelby, who was staring straight ahead, motionless, but from her red eyes Stella could tell she had been crying. As Stella neared the front of the church she saw Tom Conrad and two other people who she assumed were Claire's parents. Mrs. Conrad had her head resting on her husband's shoulder, a few stray tears tracked trails down her face as she tried to wipe them away with a tissue. Sid and his wife were sitting with Peyton, who stood and hugged Stella tightly. As they separated Peyton wiped her eyes and gave Stella a small smile, which Stella returned. Stella moved forward a few pews and was hugged by Danny, Lindsay, Don, Jo, Sheldon and Adam. Stella took her seat between Lindsay and Don and watched as Sid approached the podium to give his Eulogy.

"Mac Taylor...wow how to even begin?" Sid smiled as he glanced to this left at a picture of Mac, that was at the front of the church because of the absence of a body and coffin. "Some of you may know Mac as the hard ass leader of the crime lab," Sid said and there was a small murmur of laughter from the crowd. "Or, like me, you knew Mac as the brave and kind man, who spent most of his life serving and protecting his country and the people of this beautiful city. I worked with Mac for over ten years and I don't think I could have asked for a better boss or colleague. He tolerated me for far too long," Sid grinned and Stella felt herself smile. "He experienced loss and pain that know one should every have to, but it didn't change him and he didn't allow it to run his life. I remember the day we met as if it were yesterday. I had just started at the lab and Mac was the first one who came to greet me. He offered to give me a tour of the lab and when he brought me down into the morgue he had a lab tech pose as a dead body, and then when I got close, jump up and scare me." Sid smiled at the memory and soft laughter echoed through the chapel. As Sid continued Stella felt herself being dragged towards old memories…memories that we too painful, so to distract herself she allowed her eyes to gaze around the room. She noticed Don sitting stiffly next to her and she could hear sniffles throughout the whole church. The sounds and sights couldn't block out the memories as they came flooding back.

"_I can honestly say I wouldn't do this job without you" Mac had told her._

"_Yeah you would…you just wouldn't be as good at it," She had replied, earning a smirk from Mac. Then she turned and face him, holding out her hand._

_"Friends?" she asked. He looked at her for a brief moment before he smiled and shook her hand._

_"Friends," he confirmed.  
><em>

Stella was quickly pulled out of the past as she heard footsteps behind her and noticed Sid was taking his seat. Stella turned slightly and saw Jeff Kinney and Joseph Vissiano both approach a memorial picture of Mac. They both placed small pins onto the stand of the picture and took a step back and saluted the picture. Stella turned slightly in her seat and looked towards the back of the church. She was about to turn back around when she noticed something that made her blood turn to ice. It was the familiar glint of a gun. A man towards the back of the church was holding it in his hand, shielded from view by his jacket. Stella peered closer at the man and noticed that it was a uniformed police officer. She was about to do something when she saw the man raise the gun and point it at Kinney. She watched in utter shock and horror as the man pulled the trigger. Stella heard the shot and watched as a uniformed Marine tackled the officer to the ground and the bullet ricocheted off the wall and imbedded itself in the ceiling. Stella heard screams from women in the crowd as they realized the noise was a gun shot. The Marine slowly got up and the officer took a swing at him. The Marine dodged it and returned a punch to the officers' chest and then his face. Everyone was standing up and loud murmurs filled the room. As Stella finally got a clear view of the brawl she recognized the officers face…it was George Palorichhi. George managed to punch the Marine in the face before he was attacked by a few officers and was finally cuffed. Palorichhi's face was filled with shock as he stared at the Marine's face.

"How?...you…can't," Palorichhi stuttered as he was dragged away. The Marine pulled himself to his feet and when everyone saw his face they gasped. Stella felt her heart beat quicken as she stared at the Marine. She blinked twice and closed her eyes and opened them to see if she was hallucinating, but everyone around her was having the same reaction. The Marine slowly walked to the front of the church. Stella noticed he had a bad limp and he held his side as he walked. As the marine stood at the podium he took of his hat off and everyone knew, even through the cuts and bruises, that it was Mac. Mac stared at the shocked crowd for a moment before speaking.

"Well, I'd like to thank you all for coming, but as you can see I'm very much alive so there will be no service," Mac said a little awkwardly. Mac then walked off the altar and headed for the team. As he got close they all jumped up and ran to him. Lindsay reached him first and hugged him while crying into his shoulder. Mac hugged her back, smiling. Danny hugged him next then Don, Jo, Sheldon and Adam. When it was Stella's turn she stood in front of him, staring him down for a second. She allowed a big smile to cover her tear streaked face and she walked into his embrace.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," Stella murmured into his shoulder as she closed her eyes. She felt like her life was complete, standing in Mac's arms. He chuckled softly and she felt it vibrate through her own body. He pulled away and Jeff Kinney and Joseph Giovanni walked up to him and they both clapped him on the back. Sid came forward and threw his arms around Mac, causing Mac to chuckle. As Mac pulled away he smiled.

"I enjoyed the Eulogy," Mac said and everyone laughed.

"Well hopefully you don't die anytime soon because I don't want to have to write another one," Sid replied with a grin.

The team stood at the side of Mac as he received more hugs and handshakes including a handshake from the mayor and hugs from Peyton and Quinn. They were about to leave when the Conrad's walked up to Mac. Mac smiled softly at them and Mrs. Conrad quickly wrapped him in a big hug, kissing his cheek.

"Now you owe me Mac...preferably dinner okay?" Mrs. Conrad bargained as she held Mac at arm's length.

"Sounds good Julie," Mac complied and Mr. Conrad wrapped him in a hug.

"It's good to see you son...make sure you come to dinner cause if you don't I'll pay the price," Mr. Conrad said, smiling and nodding towards his wife. Mac laughed a little and Tom hugged him.

"You stay out of trouble for a little while ok?" Tom asked and they all laughed. As Mac tried to walk he stumbled a little, but Don caught him. Mac winced in pain.

"Now wouldn't be a bad time to drop me off at a hospital," Mac winced as Don held on to his arm. Don and Danny helped Mac walk to their parked cars.

"You know I've heard of wedding crashing, but not funeral crashing… especially your own," Don told Mac as they all walked towards their car's. Mac just smirked as they helped him into Stella's Avalanche.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

As they all sat in Mac's hospital room he started to explain everything that happened after they thought he was dead.

"Reynolds pulled out a syringe, gave me a shot in the arm and chained me up. Whatever he gave me made it so I couldn't speak or move and my whole chest felt heavy and it was hard to breath," Mac explained.

"There is a drug called mesoproflyne that stops that heart and then restarts it hours later…there have only been a few reported cases and the patients all recovered perfectly…how Reynolds got a hold of that kind of high end drug puzzles me though," Hawkes thought out loud.

"He had connections in just the right places with all his father's money," Jo added and then they all turned to Mac, urging him to continue.

"I remember waking up again and realizing Reynolds was gone. He had been sloppy when he retied me and I had a little movement. I tipped my chair so I could reach my badge and I used it to cut the ropes. Reynolds had taunted me about my funeral before he had left, so I immediately headed to St. Thersea's because I knew that was the only church you guys would have it," Mac finished. " I didn't know George was involved until I saw him with the gun...I thought I was going to find Reynolds," Mac finished with a bitter tone.

"Well, Palorichhi sang like a canary and confessed to helping Reynolds, they had been best friends all their lives even after Reynolds' dishonorable discharge. He said that Reynolds knew Harting was serving overseas, so he had to keep you alive as bait because once Vissiano and Kinney were dead he knew we would watch Harting closely," Don added.

"Wow," Sid mumbled.

"George will be put on trial for attempted murder, but who knows what'll happen," Don said and Mac just nodded.

"I'm just glad it's over," Mac sighed and they all nodded in agreement.


	23. Epilogue

If not for a few scars and scratches no one would even know that Mac had nearly been killed two weeks ago. His ribs were still broken and he had a few scars, but he felt good. He slowly approached the blue and white Victorian house that he had once called a second home. The house gave off a homey feeling with its white picket fence, blue shutters and colorful flower pots. Mac stood on the side walk just outside the picket fence and his mind started to drift back in time.

(Flashback)

"Stop worrying honey…they'll love you," Claire reassured, laughing a little. She was wearing a purple, flowery, spring dress with her long hair tied back in a ponytail.

"If you say so," Mac said smiling as she looped her arm with his.

"I do say so," Claire said as they continued to walk down the sidewalk. "Besides you already met Tom and he adored you."

"Maybe a little too much," Mac mentioned and Claire laughed.

"Ok…maybe a little…ok… a lot too much, but that's good right?" Claire grinned, gently nudging him as they walked arm in arm.

"Not if he asks me to marry him," Mac pointed out, smiling and it just made Claire laugh even harder.

"He might...don't worry I'll keep an eye on him for you…we could have a signal, so when he comes in to the room you can make a quick escape," Claire said.

"That's a good idea…what's the signal?" Mac asked, playing along.

"We'll make it a code word…how about…" Claire stopped walking and started thinking. "How about…arsy varsey?" Claire suggested, smiling.

"How am I supposed to casually use that in a sentence? What does that even mean?" Mac looked at Claire with a amused expression.

"I don't know that's not my job…oh wait I know," Claire started to imitate Mac's voice "I immediately fell arsy varsey for your lovely daughter Mr. Conrad," she said and laughed. "It means to fall head-over-heels," Claire informed.

"Wow…I think I'd rather just marry Tom," Mac claimed and Claire broke into laughter again. They finally came to a stop at the white picket fence.

"Prepare yourself…this is it Detective…you have faced villains that have tested you and pushed you to the ends of the earth, but nothing has prepared you for this...the moment that could forever change your future…for better or worse we cannot be sure," Claire said whispering dramatically, trying to keep a straight face. She slowly reached out and touched the gate…

Mac was thrown back into reality as his hand touched the white gate in front of him. He tried to clear Claire's beautiful laugh out of his head as he opened the gate and walked the short path to the house that he'd always walked with her. As he knocked on the front door Mrs. Conrad quickly opened it and smiled up at him. She was in her early eighties and was only about five feet five inches tall, not as tall as Claire had been. Her white hair was freshly curled and she wore a flowery dress. She quickly pulled him into the house and gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

"How're you feeling?" she asked, looking at him seriously.

"I'm feeling good," Mac replied. She smiled, satisfied and pleased with his answer. Mr. Conrad walked around the corner and shook Mac's hand.

"There's not going to be anymore funerals any time soon is there?' he joked, smiling broadly.

"Hopefully not," Mac replied making Mr. Conrad laughed. Mrs. Conrad hurried them into the living room and Tom appeared. He gave Mac a slap on the back and then they all sat down.

"Oh, by the way I sold that house," Tom told him.

"The one with the sliding death trap?" Mac was stunned.

"Yeah, apparently that's the new age in security," Tom smiled.

"I remember when all a person needed was a good shotgun…now that's what I call security," Mr. Conrad said and all the men laughed, but Mrs. Conrad looked disapproving.

"Honey the world changes…" Mrs. Conrad told her husband and then she turned to look at Mac "…the world continues to move and turn whether you are with it or not," Mrs. Conrad looked Mac straight in the eyes with an understanding only a few people could have. Suddenly Mac felt a sudden, strong jolt that traveled through his body and directly to his heart, where it settled. With the jolt came a realization and for the first time Mac decided he was going to join the world…he would move on.

**The End...**

*** Thank-you for waiting patiently for me to finish and I hope you enjoyed the story. Please comment and I will try to write more stories as soon as possible.**


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